Category "Food & Drinks"

No Bake Cookie Dough Inside Cookie Jar

Both of my grandmothers used their cookie jars regularly to store homemade cookies. Here’s an idea! Use a cookie jar not only for cookies but to surprise someone with some “dough!”

The “No Bake Cookie Dough” Cookie Jar is a yummy gift!

no-bake-cookie-dough-money-giftJust Google “cookie jars” and oh my… the selection is endless that you may have difficulty in choosing which one to give.

There are cookies jars that look like cupcakes, flowers, animals, houses, cartoon characters, superheroes, TV and even movie characters.

Also available are decorative, colorful and abstract design cookie jars. It’s amazing!  My favorite are collectible or vintage cookie jars. I still have my grandmother’s jars on display in my kitchen.
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The Giving Plate | A Heartwarming Tradition

No one likes to show up to a social gathering empty handed. After all, the more food the merrier!

Make a lasting impression by giving the host or hostess a gift called “The Giving Plate.”

The heartwarming tradition of The Giving Plate is that you bake a treat and present it to someone on the plate. The recipient could be a friend, family member, church member, neighbor, teacher or co-worker. Once the treat is gone, it’s time for the gift recipient to pay it forward by passing The Giving Plate to someone new.

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The Giving Plate makes for an especially touching gift during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

You can find a variety of styles of The Giving Plate on Amazon.com or you can find other designs on Etsy.com. If you’re artsy, you can make your own using food-safe porcelain markers or paint pens on a blank plate or platter.

The Giving Plate I like contains this special message that explains the tradition in a beautiful poem.

The Giving Plate

This plate belongs to everyone
wherever it may go… with each new sharing
of its gift, the love and blessings grow,
So fill it up and pass it on to
family and to friends… to start
the circle one more time,
love’s journey never ends.

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Buy Their Single Favorite Flavor of Candy

What’s your favorite color of Starburst candy? Pink? Red? Yellow? Orange?

single-favorite-flavor-candy-thoughtful-giftPink for me! We all have our favorites.

The color or flavor we don’t like… yellow Starbursts for me… those usually stay uneaten in the bag or we give them away. Thankfully, my husband likes yellow Starbursts.

While my husband likes all of the flavors of Starburst candy, he doesn’t treat the different flavors of Airheads so equally.

The other day he mentioned how he wished the entire bag of Airheads candy he bought only contained the watermelon flavor. That’s his favorite!

My thoughtful gift idea light bulb immediately turned on in my head!

I searched the Internet, and there it was…. (cue heavenly angel sound effect)… a one pound bag of Airheads watermelon candy bars.

I’ve never seen single flavors of Airheads sold in any stores I’ve been inside. It’s always the assorted or variety pack. You gotta love the Internet and bulk candy options!

Did you know you can also buy single flavors of Starburst candy? Yep. I can buy a whole pound of pink strawberry Starbursts. Oh yeah, don’t mind if I do.

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Picture Frame, Chocolate & Diamonds | Birthday Gift

My girlfriends and I used to play tennis but no longer. Age and injuries got the best of us, but we still like to keep in touch by having brunch together on Saturdays.

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The perfect gift to celebrate a friend’s birthday!

Carol is the glue for this girls’ group. She contacts us to set up when and where we will meet. I love her for keeping us close and connected.

Years ago, Carol gave all of us a “team picture” that I still have on my desk at the office. I cherish that picture and the memories of fun times together. It always makes me smile!

When I saw a picture frame with the word Friends on it, I thought this would be perfect for Carol’s birthday the next time we got together. Continue Reading

S’mores Kit for Camping

It’s funny how your birthday plans change as you grow older. Instead of a fun night out on the town, this year I wanted to celebrate my birthday by going camping outdoors with my husband and son.

smores-kit-camping-thoughtful-giftWe’ve only taken my son camping once before and I was excited to continue want I wanted to become a family tradition.

When my boss heard about my big plans to go camping during my birthday weekend, it inspired her birthday gift to me.

She gave me a S’mores Kit for Camping which included an 8-piece marshmallow roasting fork set, a box of graham crackers, a package of Hershey’s milk chocolates, and a bag of marshmallows.

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Bird Feeder & People Feeder | Unique Gift

For a birthday gift, I received a beautiful mosiac glass bird feeder. It was too pretty to let the birds poop on it so I made a decision to turn it into something else – a people feeder!

bird-feeder-people-feeder-thoughtful-gift-ideaWe love having celebrations at our house for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, Christmas, and all the holidays in between. Food and games are the center of our family celebrations.

On the kitchen table, I placed my decorative bird feeder filled with peanut and plain M&Ms. My family and friends loved the idea of nibbling from the “people feeder.”

Because the bird feeder aka people feeder was such a hit, I decided to give something similar as a gift.

I purchased a beautiful bird feeder and a giant bag of M&Ms and called my gift “Birds of a Feather Flock Together” since it’s perfect to use for get-togethers with family and friends.

It’s also a thoughtful twist for a unique housewarming gift. It can be used immediately for a delicious snack and a fun conversation piece!

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Money Tootsie Rolls Suprise!

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Gifts containing a hidden surprise are some of my favorite gifts. If the person loves candy, Tootsie Rolls are a creative way to surprise someone with money.

money-tootsie-rolls-thoughtful-gift-ideaIt’s incredibly easy to roll up cash to look like Tootsie Rolls.

First, unwrap a Tootsie Roll and eat it. You won’t be needing it. Save the wrapper though!

Fold a dollar bill into thirds, then fold into half, in half again, in half again, and in half again for a total of five folds.

Wrap the folded bill with the Tootsie Roll wrapper you saved. Twist the ends to make it look like there is a real Tootsie Roll candy inside. No glue. No tape. It’s that easy peasy!

Repeat as many times as necessary to create more Money Tootsie Rolls.

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Dropping Off Meals for New Parents | Easy Chicken Tacos Recipe

After having my first child, I felt so thankful to friends and family who came and visited bearing gifts of prepared meals. Between breastfeeding and let’s see… more breastfeeding, there was no time for anything else!

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Drop off this ready-to-eat meal for family and friends with new babies. It’s easy to make and it will provide them with several hot meals!

Just by popping the food dishes we received straight into the oven or microwave, my husband and I could eat lots of hot meals with very little work.  It was a blessing I tell you!

Our favorite dish came from one of our family members, Terri, who dropped off shredded chicken tacos and everything we needed to go with it.

Not only was it delicious, but we were able to get two dinners and two lunches out of it which was awesome because those were four meals we didn’t have to worry about at all.

I asked Terri for her chicken tacos recipe, and she happily shared it with me. Thanks Terri!

EASY PEASY CHICKEN TACOS

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Beef Jerky Gift Baskets & Samplers | Gift for Him

This gift idea men will literally eat right up.

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Give him his favorite flavors or some new flavors sure to awaken his taste buds!

When it’s hard to pick out a gift for him, you can’t go wrong with edible gifts. Beef jerky and meat sticks make awesome presents because they’re such a tasty “manly man” food snack.

You can get him a jerky gift basket or jerky sampler that fits every budget, taste preference and meat preference. In addition to beef jerky, there’s venison (deer) jerky, chicken jerky, turkey jerky, pork jerky, bacon jerky and even pineapple jerky for the vegetarian.

You can also buy gourmet jerky and exotic jerky made from elk, wild boar, alligator, alpaca, kangaroo, ostrich and even fish! Now that would make a memorable gift!

When it comes to flavors, it seems like they’ve come up with 101 varieties. You can buy jerky in flavors like teriyaki, barbecue, jalapeno, Cajun, bacon, maple bacon, lemon pepper, sweet and spicy, chili pepper, pepperoni, and so much more.

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Whiskey & Coke Tower | Gift for Him

Whiskey and Coke – one of the world’s most popular cocktails.

whiskey-coke-tower-gift-for-himWhether he likes his drink made with Jack Daniels (Tennessee whiskey), Maker’s Mark (bourbon) or Jameson (Irish whiskey) or some other brand, you can make a Whiskey & Coke Tower using his favorite brand of liquor.

(If I were to make one of these for myself, it would be a Rum & Coke Tower using a bottle of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum!)

The Whiskey & Coke Tower pairs together his favorite bottle of whiskey with cans of Coke for a stunning presentation. It makes a great centerpiece for a bachelor party or birthday party, and it’s not hard to make.

ITEMS YOU WILL NEED:

  • his favorite bottle of whiskey or bourbon
  • 12 oz. Coke cans
  • 7.5 oz. Coke cans
  • other cans as needed for the center
  • packing tape
  • ribbons for decorating
  • aluminum foil

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